MDs dont own the physician title

Specialties Doctoral

Published

I think there is a lot of confusion on this board about titles. MDs do NOT own the physician title.

In fact, it has been legal for years for a chiropractor to call himself a "chiropractic physician"

Pharmacists, DPTs, and anybody else with a doctoral degree can also use the "physician" title.

In 20 years DNPs will be able to introduce themselves as a "nurse-physician" and it will be totally normal and acceptable.

Specializes in Anesthesia.
*** Oh yes I know exactly what homeopathy is. Quackery, hokum, silly, fake, come to mind as accurate descriptions.

*** Oh I DO! I have seen many patients receive benefit and comfort from alternative therapies. We have several providers who use aroma therapy in my hospital and certain patients benefit from it. I have observed anxious pre-op patients become relaxed and comfortable with aroma therapy. I remain open minded about alternative therapies. Especially in cases where modern medicine has no answers. However homeopathy is just silly and provides no benefit beyond placebo effect, which we all know can be very powerful.

There is difference in homeopathy and "alternative medicines". Homeopathy has no scientific evidence to support it, and homeopathy basically states you should intake diluted poisons to ramp up your bodies immune system to fight a disease/infection.

Acupuncture, aroma therapy, visualization, music therapy have all been shown to have positive benefits.

This is where EBP/EBM takes place. You take the best available research and your clinical expertise to make an EBP plan. Advocating your patients taking poisons that have no scientific basis in improving care would not belong in the EBP/EBM category....

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in FNP, ONP.

I was thinking about those teething tablets. I have a lot of Moms who swear those work. Well, yeah. Give the baby sugar and he will stop crying for a few minutes, lol. It isn't actually relieving the inflammation associated with teething. Get a teething ring and be done with it. Homeopathy is utter, unadulterated nonsense. A complete fabrication. Lies. Professionals cannot recommend that to patients, it is malpractice, pure and simple. The only homeopathic remedy I don't object to is arnica. You can rub all the arnica on your sore muscles that you want to. Go for it. Knock your self out, especially if it keeps you away from the chiropractor.

Chiropractors are basically massage therapists/xray technicians with a little bit of PT thrown in, but with no where near the expertise of a real physical therapist. They are dangerous and unethical, and the whole ridiculous faux profession ought to be outlawed IMO, in the interest of public safety.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in FNP, ONP.

I had a parent of a child with a potentially serious illness treating the child with homeopathy "prescribed" by a natropath. They came to our office to obtain orders for serial lab tests to monitor the progress of the so called treatment. We called child protective services and in short order the foster parents made certain the child got appropriate treatment. That is what the courts think of homeopathy. It isn't bias at the root of our skepticism, it is science.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.

Nursing itself has given legitimacy to that crap by offering CE units in Touch Therapy and I suppose, Aura Reading. If someone wants to be a practitioner of alternative therapies and they aren't overtly harmful, great. Just don't mix it up with evidence-based practice. I agree that insurance paying for some of this is absurd.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in burn ICU, SICU, ER, Trauma Rapid Response.
Nursing itself has given legitimacy to that crap by offering CE units in Touch Therapy.

*** This reminds me of a funny story (at least I thought it was funny). I used to work for a hospital that never missed a single silly nursing fad. Mostly it was all very annoying to those of us who worked at the bedside. One time we had an educational meeting to learn about Touch Therapy. The instructor asked "PMFB can we demonstrate the principals of Touch Therapy on you?"

I replied:

"Uh, maybe, does it come with a Happy Ending?"

The class burst out in laughter and the instructor lost composure and things went down hill from there. They didn't try to repeat the class. I got a "talking to" from my nurse manager and a 3 day suspension that lasted half a day until night charge got desperate and called and asked me to come to work.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

Interesting. I don't consider non-physicians physicians, but would have no problem referring to any doctoral level medical professional as "doctor". Heck, I work with tons of PhD's that I refer to that way.

To me NP's and PA's have a lot to offer and I do not see why they would even desire to be lumped in with "physicians". NP's especially should be proud of the extra's they offer and I would think would want to distinguish themselves.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Peds/outpatient FP,derm,allergy/private duty.
*** . . . The instructor asked "PMFB can we demonstrate the principals of Touch Therapy on you?"

I replied:

"Uh, maybe, does it come with a Happy Ending?"

You brat. I love it! Those people tend to take themselves waayy too seriously anyway! :-)

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

PMFB-RN,

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Anesthesia, Pain, Emergency Medicine.

I about fell off my chair. Now this is to funny.

*** This reminds me of a funny story (at least I thought it was funny). I used to work for a hospital that never missed a single silly nursing fad. Mostly it was all very annoying to those of us who worked at the bedside. One time we had an educational meeting to learn about Touch Therapy. The instructor asked "PMFB can we demonstrate the principals of Touch Therapy on you?"

I replied:

"Uh, maybe, does it come with a Happy Ending?"

The class burst out in laughter and the instructor lost composure and things went down hill from there. They didn't try to repeat the class. I got a "talking to" from my nurse manager and a 3 day suspension that lasted half a day until night charge got desperate and called and asked me to come to work.

Up Vote Up Vote ×

I think some of the ingredients used in homeopathy could have an effect....if they weren't so DILUTED!

The basic principle of homeopathy is serial dilutions of the ingredients in water, alcohol, or sugar. They used what is called the "C scale" with 1C being a dilution of 1:100 original ingredient in water. For 2C, it would be 1:100, and then THAT solution is further diluted 1:100, meaning the original solution is now diluted 10,000 times.

The average homeopathy recipe is between 12C and 30C!!! Beyond 12C, it is nearly impossible for a SINGLE MOLECULE of the original substance to remain.

If you understand chemistry and physics, it's easy to see why homeopathy, regardless of the original ingredient, CANNOT work beyond the placebo effect. You could start with whatever substance you want, doesn't matter if it's orificenic or mandrake root, after thirty 1:100 serial dilutions it is effectively nothing but the diluent itself.

Unfortunately chemistry was not well understood back when homeopathy was invented. And original support of homeopathy was simply because medicine was so bad back then that often cures did more harm then good...which of course means that homeopathy (which does nothing) would have better outcomes.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in ICU + Infection Prevention.

The problem with homeopathy is not a lack of evidence. The problem is the overwhelming amount of evidence showing it to be placebo.

Up Vote Up Vote ×
Specializes in Clinical Research, Outpt Women's Health.

I thought this was a thread about the physician title for any doctorate level provider?

Up Vote Up Vote ×
+ Add a Comment